


Adopting

by adiwriting



Series: Hearing Verse [35]
Category: Glee
Genre: Deaf!Blaine, Glee AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2014-03-23
Packaged: 2018-01-16 19:04:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1358485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adiwriting/pseuds/adiwriting
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They've been waiting years for a child of their own. They've been waiting so long that they'd almost given up hope, then Mei came along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Adopting

Neither of them had been able to sleep last night, so instead, they stayed up all night putting primer up in Blaine’s old office. With all the last minute paperwork, travel arrangements, and shopping, there had been no time to do more than move all of Blaine’s old office furniture out of the room and into temporary storage. While Kurt had claimed it wasn’t important to paint the walls, they could do it later, the stress of everything eventually kicked in and he couldn’t stop explaining how dark blue was bad luck and their new little addition couldn’t possibly sleep in a room with such dark walls. 

Usually, when Kurt got worked up like this, Blaine could calm him down and make him see how ridiculous he was being. However, Blaine was just as stressed out as Kurt and the more he kept talking about the negative effects of dark colors, the more panicked Blaine grew himself. 

Which is how he had found himself out buying paint and primer in his pajamas in the middle of the night. God, did he love that you could get just about anything in New York at 2am. 

This morning, they had been so worried about showing up to the airport on time and getting through security, that they ended up being five hours early for their flight. They spent two hours going through gift shops, determined to find the perfect “welcome home” gift, paranoid that they would get it wrong and have their dreams crushed yet again with another failed adoption. Losing a third child would just be too much for their already fragile hearts to handle — this one had to stick. 

As they boarded their fourteen hour flight to Beijing, three separate shopping bags in hand (IT’S A LONG FLIGHT HOME, SHE NEEDS TOYS, Blaine had justified), Kurt found himself saying a silent prayer that this time, things would finally work out for them. He didn’t think he could handle the look on Blaine’s face if they were told no. He couldn’t hold his husband as he sobbed and blamed himself for not getting the child they both so desperately wanted. Blaine was convinced he was the only reason they weren’t getting a child. Kurt knew his unstable profession as an actor and the fact that they were gay played a huge part — but how could he reassure Blaine that his Deafness hadn’t affected the adoption process when he knew it had? 

No, they were getting this child and nothing was going to stop them. Blaine was meant to be a father, anyone that had ever seen him with kids could attest to that fact, and it was Kurt’s job as his husband to provide him that opportunity. 

CALM DOWN, Kurt signs that afternoon, as they get into a cab from their hotel, finally on their way to meet their daughter. Blaine’s fidgeting in his seat and rubbing the back of his neck like he only does when he’s really nervous. 

WHAT IF SHE DOESNT LIKE US? Blaine asks, looking more distressed than Kurt’s ever seen him — which is crazy. When has anybody ever not liked Blaine? 

SHE WILL LOVE YOU, he signs, reassuring himself as much as he is Blaine.

Blaine doesn’t seem to believe him, and he knows there’s no point in trying again. They’ll be meeting little Mei in less than an hour and Blaine will have his answers. Nothing he says will be able to make Blaine believe he’s good enough — that’s something only Mei will be able to do. 

DID YOU TELL DAD TO MAKE SURE THE BED WAS READY? Blaine asks for the third time that morning. Despite having been in on the video call with him, Blaine’s still worried that nothing will be set up when they get home. 

I DID, he answers patiently. They’ve long since learned how easy it is to snap at each other when they are both stressed and he won’t let today of all days be tainted with silly arguments. 

AND HE’S GOING TO FINISH PAINTING HER ROOM? Blaine asks. 

HE IS. 

WHAT IF SHE DOESN’T LIKE THE COLOR? 

Kurt pauses, picturing them bringing Mei home for the first time, only to find out how much she actually hates her new room and feels his heart speed up. Would they have to send her back, if she didn’t like it? Will there be followup appointments where Mei will somehow let it be known how much she hates them and their home? 

No. Kurt can’t think like that. He can’t afford to. Everything is going to work out for them this time, he’s sure of it. 

THEN WE’LL PAINT IT AGAIN, he signs, reaching over to hold onto Blaine’s hand, reassuring him while also preventing him from asking any more questions that would only freak them both out. 

It doesn’t help that they’d been given next to no notice about Mei. Their first trail with the adoption process had all gone by the book. They’d contacted an adoption agency in the city, filled out the necessary paperwork and gone through the typical interview and waiting processes. Once they’d finally found a birth mother, life had been perfect. They’d had months to decorate a nursery, shop for furniture and clothes… Only to find out on the day of their son’s birth that the mother had changed her mind and decided to keep the baby. 

They’d never even been allowed to hold baby Grayson before he was gone. 

They’d both been devastated, but Blaine had taken it the hardest. Kurt would come home from work most nights to find Blaine fast asleep on the floor of the nursery, eyes swollen from crying. After several weeks of this with Blaine growing more and more depressed by the day, Kurt eventually made the executive call and gave all of their new baby stuff to his pregnant co-worker, determined to get anything baby related out of the house so there would be no reminders. He’d turned the second bedroom into an office for Blaine, and eventually things got better. Eventually, they were both ready to try again. 

After a failed first attempt, they’d turned to international adoption, ready for a fresh start. They’d ended up working with an agent who had found them a child to adopt in China. Despite the fact that China didn’t usually adopt out to gay couples or couples with a disability, their agent managed to bypass much of the red tape and they had, once again, began the process of adopting a baby. 

Two months after being told they’d been matched with a three-month-old girl in Shanghai, they’d received a phone call that their child had been given to a British family. It hadn’t been said explicitly, but Kurt heard the message loud and clear — she’d been given to a straight, hearing family. This time around, Blaine had been better prepared to handle the rejection. He admitted that he never really believed they’d get the baby, had always known the agency was just waiting for a better family to come along. They were a last resort… They were a family the agency would settle for if a better choice didn’t present itself. 

Kurt had been a mess. He threw himself into his work, because it was the only thing that kept him sane. After his each curtain call, a childless home seemed too much to go home to, so he found himself going to after parties. After one too many arguments about Kurt coming home drunk, Blaine sat him down and begged him to stop. Their marriage was strong, but it wasn’t strong enough to survive anymore heartache. 

They’d given up on adoption and decided instead to focus on each other. They’d talked about possibly trying a surrogate in a few years, but all conversations of a baby were off the table for at least a year. Their hearts needed time to heal. 

Things had been getting better for them. Kurt had started coming home immediately after his shows so that he’d have time to see Blaine before he had to get to bed. Kurt’s day off was always spent preparing lavish meals for his husband to come home to, those nights were spent making love well past Blaine’s usual bedtime. Things were perfect for them, once again. 

Then, five days ago, they’d received a phone call from their agent. 

There had been a three-year-old girl dropped off at an orphanage, who they realized had profound hearing loss. Their agent had explained that the orphanage was overwhelmed and did not have the resources to care for a child with special needs and asked if they would be willing to adopt her. 

They had taken a day to discuss it, but when the two of them agreed, they’d imagined they’d have a least a month to prepare their home for the new arrival. They didn’t expect to be asked to book a plane ticket as soon as possible. Nothing they’d ever read about or been told in terms of adoption, had ever talked about an adoption happening in less than a week. 

Thankfully, Kurt’s parents immediately booked a plane out to New York to help prepare their apartment for a child. They didn’t even have a bed set up for little Mei when they’d left. 

When the car finally stops, Kurt realizes they must be here. They pay the driver and get out of the car, unsure of what to do next. None of the signs on the street are written in English and Kurt doesn’t know how to read Chinese. He been determined to take Mandarin lessons earlier in the year when they first looked into adopting from China, but nothing had fit his schedule and then when the adoption fell through he’d stopped trying. Now he wishes he hadn’t. 

WHAT DO WE DO? Blaine asks, looking up and down the street nervously. They are clearly in a residential area, however all of the buildings look the same and he’s unsure where to even start. 

Thankfully, they are spared having to go door to door when an elderly women opens a door two buildings up. 

“Hummel-Anderson family?” she calls with a heavy accent. 

“Yes,” Kurt says, taking Blaine’s hand and walking up the street and through the door. 

Kurt’s not sure what he’d expected when he walks through the door. Perhaps he’d expected there to be kids running back and forth in front of him while loudly playing with each other — complete chaos. Perhaps he’d expected there to be a grand staircase and wood paneled walls like something out of A Little Princess. He’d feared walking into a run down building with mold on the walls and furniture that was falling apart, a ceiling ready to cave in. 

He didn’t expect it to feel so business-like. They walk down a hall, past several offices, much like a doctor’s office would feel. When they reach the end of the hall, they are lead to an empty playroom, with a bookshelf full of books, a mini slide in the corner and a box full of toys next to a sofa. They are asked to sit and wait without any instructions. 

DO YOU THINK THEY ARE GOING TO GET HER? Blaine asks. 

I DON’T KNOW, he says, looking over to a long mirror that covers the length of one wall. He wonders if they are already being watched and feels like an animal in a cage. 

The door opens again and both of them hold their breath, but the woman that enters, Bai, does not have a child with her. She’s younger, probably around their age, and wearing jeans and a worn sweatshirt. She looks relaxed and inviting, wearing a huge smile, which helps calm his nerves a bit. She isn’t here to criticizes them and judge them, she is simply here to make sure they are ready for the responsibility of adoption. They want to find good matches for all every child after all. 

Bai asks them a series of questions and Kurt has to interpret everything for Blaine, but she doesn’t glare at him for it. There’s no silent judgement in her eyes like they’ve gotten before during adoption interviews. 

“Are you prepared to adopt a child with hearing loss, there will be additional medical expenses, educational concerns, and additional stress on your family than if you were to adopt a typically developing child,” she asks. 

Blaine and Kurt look at each other, amused. 

I THINK I’M WELL AWARE OF THE ACCOMMODATIONS A DEAF CHILD NEEDS, Blaine signs and Kurt translates for him. 

“I apologize if these seem like silly questions, given the circumstances, but the government requires me to ask every family adopting a child with special needs,” Bai says, and they both nod their understanding. They are willing to answer a million more questions if it means they will actually be allowed to take Mei home. 

And they do. The questions are endless. Will they be able to afford the cost of hearing aids? If she is eligible, will they consider a cochlear implant? Do they know where they would send Mei to school? Where do they live? Are there plans to move outside of the city? Is their home safe? Is it equipped for a Deaf child? Do they know sign language? Does anyone else in the family know sign language? Do they both plan on continuing to work? How do they plan on ensuring Mei does not loose her Chinese heritage? 

There are so many questions, that Kurt’s head is spinning by the time she leaves to go and get Mei. He’s hopeful though. The meeting had gone well and he’s so incredibly hopeful that this time it’s actually going to work out for them. He can feel it. 

If the way Blaine is smiling is any indication, Blaine can feel it, too. 

Then the door opens and Bai is back and Mei shyly peaking out from her hiding spot between Bai’s legs. She’s an adorable little thing, with those chubby cheeks kids always seem to have, and a pretty blue floral dress on. 

HI, Kurt signs, but she quickly darts back into her hiding spot when she notices that she’s been spotted. 

“We’ve been struggling to communicate with her because she doesn’t speak, and from what we can tell, all of the signs she has are made up,” Bai explains. “She’s really shy. She doesn’t even play with the other kids.” 

Kurt nods his understanding, figuring that they’ll just have to wait several minutes for Mei to warm up to them enough to come out and play, but Blaine has other ideas. He’s up and out of his seat, going through the toy box, looking for something to do. When he finds a red bouncing ball, he pulls it out and begins playing with it. Kurt wonders what he’s doing, he’s not even inviting Mei to come and play with him, but then he sees it.

Mei is peaking out again, staring at the ball and Blaine with a curious expression on her face. Blaine doesn’t say anything, but Kurt can see him watching her out of the corner of his eye. Slowly — painfully, slowly — Mei begins tip-toeing closer to Blaine, until finally she’s standing next to him, and watching the ball bounce up and down with envious eyes. 

DO YOU LIKE MY BALL? Blaine asks and Mei’s face scrunches in confusion, looking back and forth between Blaine and Bai. 

She looks at Bai, then moves her hands to pat her ears a few times then points at Blaine, clearly asking something, but Kurt can’t tell what. She’s not signing in ASL. She signs it repeatedly though, waiting for an answer until Blaine gets her attention. 

YES, I’M DEAF, TOO, he signs and her eyes light up. 

Kurt feels like his heart is going to explode as he watches Mei and Blaine smile at each other. He can suddenly picture it. The three of them strolling through Central Park together, Mei on Blaine’s shoulders, running fast and causing Mei to erupt in giggles. He can picture them at dinner time, Blaine patiently taking the time to cut up her food into small bites while she tells Kurt all about her busy day. He can see them at Halloween, the entire family dressed up in coordinating costumes as they trick or treat around their apartment building. Kurt can see Blaine tucking her in at night while making up an elaborate story about traveling through space on a dragon, Mei smiling up at her daddy with worshiping eyes. 

Blaine was always meant to be a father, there’s no denying that. But for the first time since Grayson didn’t come home with them, Kurt allows himself to picture the future – their future — filled with children. He’s been hurt so many times that he hasn’t allowed himself to think about it too much. He hasn’t pictured Christmases back in Ohio, with Blaine’s mom teaching their child how to make cookies. He’s never allowed himself to think of his dad becoming a grandfather. It’s all hurt to much, so any talk of babies has been firmly rooted in the present, only allowing himself to think of the next step. Getting too far ahead of themselves, painting nursery’s before paperwork’s been signed, it’s too much. 

But he sees it now and he can’t help but cry a bit over how beautiful it all looks. 

This is where they were meant to be, this is who they were always meant to adopt. And maybe it still hurts that they’d failed those two tries in the past, but maybe those experiences were always supposed to happen so that their paths could end up here with Mei. A child who clearly just needs to have somebody that understands her, that won’t look at her as broken and disabled. She needs a family that will understand how perfect she is, how normal being Deaf is, how special it is. 

She needs them just as much as they need her. 

He watches a few more minutes as Mei tugs on Blaine’s ears curiously, as if she can actually see Blaine’s Deafness, and the smile on her face grows so big that her eyes can barely be seen past her huge cheeks. He watches her take Blaine’s hand and pull him up so that she can show him around the room, pointing at her favorite toys and talking animatedly with her hands. He can’t understand what she’s singing, but Blaine figures it out eel enough and the two chat effortlessly. 

He’s always heard that Deaf people have an easier time communicating with each other despite language barriers, but he’s never really been able to experience it firsthand. 

When they reach the bookshelf, she pulls off a few books, pointing at her favorites and describing the story to a very impressed Blaine. However, when she asks him to read to her, Blaine shakes his head, no. 

KURT, Blaine points at him with a huge smile on his face. KURT TELLS THE BEST STORIES. WE SHOULD ASK HIM TO READ TO BOTH OF US. 

Which is how Kurt ends up trying to tell a Chinese fairytale with only the pictures to go off of, while Blaine sits on the floor with Mei in his lap, both of them eagerly watching as Kurt acts out a dramatic scene of a town flooding due to a magic stick. 

They shouldn’t be surprised when the visit ends and they are told to come back tomorrow to pick up Mei. They shouldn’t be surprised that they are allowed to adopt her, but they are. Of course they are, after all they’ve been through. 

And they worry when they come back the next day to get Mei that the door will be slammed in their faces. They fear somebody will show up at their hotel room as they are eating their first meal as a family to take her back. They barely sleep that night, certain that they’ll wake up and she’ll be gone. 

Anybody that had gone through what they’d gone through, would be terrified of losing this chance. Kurt won’t be able to give her back if he has to, not now that he’s met her. Mei is perfect and theirs, and he can’t lose her anymore than he can afford to lose Blaine. Twenty-four hours in and he’s already so in love that he can barely see straight from the tears of happiness he’s constantly crying. 

But then they board the plane home and nobody stops them. Mei is buckled between them, clearly theirs, and the plane takes off anyway, nobody questions them. In fact, several people ask if they’ve just adopted Mei, and when they say yes, all they get is a heartfelt congratulations. 

Once Mei has fallen asleep on his lap halfway through the flight, Kurt looks over to see Blaine staring at the two of them with a fond look on his face. 

YOU’RE GOING TO BE THE BEST FATHER IN THE WORLD, Blaine signs and Kurt can only sigh in relief. 

They’ve finally got a family of their own.


End file.
